OEL for Chloroplatinates

Statement by the Industry on the DECOS Recommendation for a Revised Health-Based OEL for Chloroplatinates

The majority of platinum compounds are non-allergenic to humans. However, occupational allergy to the complex halogenated salts of platinum (chloroplatinates) may occur in the refining of platinum group metals (PGM), and in the relatively uncommon situations where exposures to such compounds takes place in downstream industries.

A stringent occupational exposure limit (OEL) applicable to chloroplatinates has been in existence as a uniform standard in many territories for a number of years. However, a scientific basis is not yet fully established for deriving exposure limits that take into account all key determinants of risk in the workplace, such as the influence of peak exposures. In the past, the Health Council of the Netherlands Expert Committee on Occupational Standards (DECOS) had proposed a chloroplatinate long-term exposure limit for workplaces which is lower than the norm currently in place in other territories.
Against the backdrop of this uncertainty, controlling exposure to chloroplatinates to as low as reasonably practicable below existing exposure limits continues to be a high priority for the PGM industry.

The DECOS report had been carefully considered by the platinum group metal (PGM) industry and in 2009, a statement has been prepared by representatives from the industry under the auspices of the European Precious Metals Federation (EPMF), and in conjunction with The International Platinum Group Metals Association (IPA).

Download statement here (PDF file).